BackgroundEpidemiologic studies associate lung cancer in non-smoking Chinese women with Chinese-style wok cooking. Our goal was to quantify carcinogen and toxicant...Full Text Available
BackgroundUse of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), an important category of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), has increased substantially in Western countries during...Full Text Available
As adulterated and substituted Chinese medicinal materials are common in the market, therapeutic effectiveness of such materials cannot be guaranteed. Identification at species-, strain- and locality-levels,...Full Text Available
Two Chinese infants had cytomegalovirus inclusion disease presenting as persistent pneumonia and thrombocytopenic purpura, respectively. Both had lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, pneumonia, and...Full Text Available
Chinese and Chumash traditional medical approaches are similar in terms of disease causation, use of acupuncture or healing touch, plants, spiritual and philosophical approaches. This article provides...Full Text Available
Robert van Gulik was a respected Dutch sinologist and author who first translated a collection of traditional Chinese detective stories into English and then created additional fictional stories based...Full Text Available
The pharmacokinetics of ceftriaxone were investigated in six healthy mainland Chinese adults (four males and two females). A single 1.0-g dose was administered intravenously or intramuscularly in a...Full Text Available
The characterization of the single-chain protein in Chinese-cobra (Naja naja atra) blood serum, which yields strong specific protection against the venom of the same snake, is reported. The protein,...Full Text Available
The entire genome of rabies virus vaccine strain Flury-LEP-C, a Chinese variant of the rabies virus vaccine strain Flury-LEP, was sequenced. The overall length of the genome of Flury-LEP-C strain was...Full Text Available
BackgroundEstablishing an evidence-based method of improving knowledge and attitudes concerning depression has been identified as a priority in Chinese medical education. The purpose...Full Text Available
Increasing attention is being paid to the scientific evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). As many TCMs are capable of biotransformation in the gastrointestinal tract, attention to biotransformation...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe State of Victoria in Australia introduced Chinese medicine practitioner registration in 2000 and issued its education guidelines in late 2002 for introduction in 2005....Full Text Available
BackgroundThis study investigated the knowledge of depression and preference for professional help, medications and treatment methods among Australians of Chinese-speaking background,...Full Text Available
Currently there is considerable interest among oncologists to find anticancer drugs in Chinese herbal medicine (CHM). In the past, clinical data showed that some herbs possessed anticancer properties,...Full Text Available
BackgroundMost traditional Chinese herbal formulas consist of at least four herbs. Four-Agents-Decoction (Si Wu Tang) is a documented eight hundred year old formula containing four...Full Text Available
The study examines advances in Chinese High Power Microwaves (HPM) research and its associated technologies: pulsed power, high-power microwave sources, and high-power microwave components. It draws from open literature published in Chinese and English, communication with US scholars who have visited China recently, and communication with Chinese researchers in the United States. The study is limited to frequencies ranging from 1 GHz to 300 GHz. It includes both high peak power microwaves and high average power microwaves. The technical review section of this study is ordered in technological sequence, starting with the pulsed-power systems required to form the intense relativistic electron beams, then assessing microwave source research and development, and finally discussing high-power microwave components.
Mutation C1494T in mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene was recently reported in two large Chinese families with aminoglycoside-induced and nonsyndromic hearing loss (AINHL) and was claimed to be pathogenic. This mutation, however, was first reported in a sample from central China in our previous study that was aimed to reconstruct East Asian mtDNA phylogeny. All these three mtDNAs formed a subclade defined by mutation C1494T in mtDNA haplogroup A. It thus seems that mutation C1494T is a haplogroup A-associated mutation and this matrilineal background may contribute a high risk for the penetrance of mutation C1494T in Chinese with AINHL. To test this hypothesis, we first genotyped mutation C1494T in 553 unrelated individuals from three regional Chinese populations and performed an extensive search ...
With the increase of cross-Strait economic activity, the interaction between Taiwanese business people and the Chinese government has gradually changed. As Taiwanese investment grew in volume, so did the number and frequency of contacts between the parties; a more institutionalised form regulating these contacts was established as a result. Nowadays Taiwanese businessmen have become an identifiable factor in Chinese governmental policy implementation; the process also has far-reaching implications. This paper argues that Taiwanese capital has become a Chinese governmental security asset and examines the importance of this factor when discussing conventional government/business interaction. This paper concludes that a superior national interest guides the warm welcome given by the Chinese g...
Abstract An important aspect of Chinese academic health science libraries is their involvement in teaching medical information retrieval courses as part of the medical curriculum. Health science librarians in China have a more formal teaching role than is generally found in Western countries, including many full time teaching positions. This article provides a case study of Kunming Medical University Library, where courses are provided as credit units at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The teaching practices of Chinese health science libraries are compared with teaching experiences reported in Western countries. It is noted that Chinese government s educational policy is similar to that of the United States in promoting the role of the library in teaching subjects as part of th...
The effects of temperatures, durations of treatment, and derivations from spermatophores or spermaries on in vitro acrosome reaction of the spermatozoa in the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis...Full Text Available
PurposeTo analyze the expression of apoptosis and cell proliferation molecules in pterygium tissues of Chinese patients.MethodsThirty-three pterygia...Full Text Available
... spontaneous radiation of amplifiers within a relatively w~de range of ... pulse widths are 20-30ns, while amplified spontaneous radiation pulse ...
Abstract: Geothermal data available from WDC includes : a) Map of hot spring distribution in ... d) Data on geothermal resources in Zhejiang and Fujian. ...
Calcaneus quantitative ultrasound (QUS) assessment is a safe and reliable method for evaluating skeletal status. Until now, considerable data have been accumulated on the distribution of QUS in Caucasian populations, whereas such data are still insufficient in Asian populations, especially in Chinese mainland. The present study aimed to obtain the distribution characteristic of calcaneus QUS in healthy Chinese women, and to further investigate the distribution of low bone mass by QUS stiffness index (SI). This study included 2,498 healthy Chinese females aged 10-87 yr. The QUS exhibited a characteristic mild rise and then fall pattern with increasing age. Age, body height, and weight were significant influencing factors on SI, especially age and weight. The prevalence of osteoporosis detec...
In this study, we examine research in the field of human resource management (HRM) published in six leading Chinese management journals from 2001 to 2007.First, we show publication patterns of Chinese HRM research by topic and reference discipline. Second, we assess the status of research quality using four raters to independently rate the articles based on type, orientation, design and statistical analyses. Through a systematic approach of analyzing this selection of articles, our study offers an opportunity for international scholars to appreciate the unique contributions of the Chinese language literature to the general HRM research. We conclude with a discussion of opportunities and directions for future research in this area to produce high quality indigenous research and build global...
The research team recruited eight Chinese American (seven females, one male) lay health workers (LHWs). They received 12 h of training about colorectal cancer (CRC), its screening, and basic...Full Text Available
Objective: To apply the obtained results from 3 stages of research in Chinese radiation protection field. Methods: Based on the identification of physical, chemical and biological qualities for element and its radionuclides under equilibrium condition, main application of these results in Chinese radiation protection field have been discussed by using reported methods in literature. Results: Based on developing elemental reference values of organs or tissues, whole body burdens and their distribution for Chinese Reference Man, discussed in the above 3 articles, current dietary elemental intakes of 42 elements have been updated, and related basis for certain important parameters of bio-kinetic model for use in radiation protection (for example, f_l, T_e and T_b) have been provided. The internal doses from primordial radionuclides and transfer coefficients of elements from environment into the critical organs of ...
Climate change and limited primary energy resources require indigenous renewable electricity generation options to change the current coal-dominated power source matrix in China. The wind power is such a solution for the above challenges, and it still has large space for improvement in China. In this paper several critical factors related to Chinese wind power were studied in details, including the wind resources, the wind turbine industry and the policies from the Chinese government. Based on the study, the perspective of wind power in China was discussed. With outstanding advantages, the offshore wind power has a bright future in China, so its main characteristics are discussed. Based on the discussions, suggestions were given to improve the development of Chinese wind power, and the gov...
Climate change and limited primary energy resources require indigenous renewable electricity generation options to change the current coal-dominated power source matrix in China. The wind power is such a solution for the above challenges, and it still has large space for improvement in China. In this paper several critical factors related to Chinese wind power were studied in details, including the wind resources, the wind turbine industry and the policies from the Chinese government. Based on the study, the perspective of wind power in China was discussed. With outstanding advantages, the offshore wind power has a bright future in China, so its main characteristics are discussed. Based on the discussions, suggestions were given to improve the development of Chinese wind power, and the government's further measures are also recommended. (author)
ObjectivesThe primary aim is to enable China to address its energy and infrastructure issues in a sustainable manner, without hindering economic progress, with the UK benefiting from an enhanced uptake of its technology, knowledge and expertise through enhanced business opportunities and strengthened collaboration with key Chinese Institutions. ~%~~%~Objectives~%~1) To build capacity and capability in technology transfer and knowledge exploitation in Chinese and UK business and industry through practical, [continued...]DescriptionThe Chinese 11th Five-Year Plan considers Sustainable Energy Supply and Sustainable Built Environment as crucial for achieving sustainable development. Recognising the potential benefits, the UK government has actively encouraged international collaborations with China. Two Engineering Schools at Queen's University Belfast (QUB), with internationally recognised research excellence ...
Technology transfer is an integral part of Framatome's general approach to its Chinese partners for the Daya Bay, Ling Ao, and Qinshan phase 2 nuclear power plant projects. It has been the subject of major operations covering all activities relevant to project management, design and engineering, manufacturing, and maintenance know-how. This presentation is more particularly devoted to nuclear island maintenance knowledge, which has been extensively transferred by Framatome to the Daya Bay plant owner over a period of four years, through a program including the constitution of mixed Franco-Chinese teams to handle plant maintenance, shadow training of Chinese specialists in the maintenance work performed by Framatome or its subcontractors in France, and theoretical training sessions on equipment mockups in China and France. (author)
The penetrance of Lebers hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) in families with primary mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations is very complex. Matrilineal and nuclear genetic background, as well as environmental factors, have been reported to be involved in different affected pedigrees. Here we describe two large Chinese families that show a striking difference in the penetrance of LHON, in which 53.3% and 15.0% of members were affected (Pin vivo mitochondrial oxidative metabolism as described in a previous study. Evolutionary analysis failed to indicate any putatively pathogenic mutation that cosegregated with G11778A in these two pedigrees. Our results suggest that the variable penetrance of LHON in the two Chinese families is independent of both their mtDNA haplotype background and a seconda...
Background and aimModification of low-density lipoprotein due to oxidative stress is essential in the development of coronary atherosclerosis. Data of specific carotenoids except b-carotene on cardioprotective effects in humans are limited. Methods and resultsThis study examined the associations between plasma concentrations of specific carotenoids and incidence of acute myocardial infarction. The study included 280 incident cases of acute myocardial infarction and 560 matched controls nested within the Singapore Chinese Health Study, a prospective cohort of 63,257 Chinese men and women aged 45-74 years old enrolled in 1993-1998 in Singapore. Retinol and carotenoids in prediagnostic plasma were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography. High levels of plasma b-cryptoxanthin a...
Background/Purpose Early detection and intervention of psychosis is clinically important. This study aimed to test the applicability of the Chinese version of the Prodromal Questionnaire (CPQ) for identifying prodromal states of psychosis. Methods This is a two-group cross-sectional comparative study. The Prodromal Questionnaire (PQ) was translated into traditional Chinese based on Brislins Revised Model. Like the PQ, the CPQ provides results on four subscales: (1) positive symptoms, (2) negative symptoms, (3) disorganized symptoms, and (4) general symptoms. An expert panel of five senior psychiatrists established the content validity of the CPQ. The experimental group was a sample of 100 first-visit patients to a psychiatric outpatient department (FVPOD). The comparison group comprised 98...
Background:Smoking cessation is an important strategy for reducing the harmful effects of tobacco, particularly in the prevention of lung cancer; however, prospective data on the...Full Text Available
The anatomical basis for the concept of meridians in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has not been resolved. This paper reviews the evidence supporting a relationship between acupuncture points/meridians...Full Text Available
BackgroundRandomized controlled trials (RCTs) which are of poor quality tend to exaggerate the effect estimate and lead to wrong or misleading conclusions. The aim of this study...Full Text Available
The mutagenic and cytotoxic activity of two newly synthesized doxorubicin derivatives and of one daunorubicin derivative were studied in V79 Chinese hamster cells and bacteria (Salmonella typhimurium...Full Text Available
The measured result of charged multiplicity in cosmic-ray proton induced nuclear reaction from Chinese satellite emulsion is reported. The correlation of shower and heavy particles is discussed and compared with p-emulsion interactions.
Multiglycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook f (GTW), a Chinese herb-derived medicine used as a remedy for rheumatoid arthritis, are considered to be a reversible anti-fertility drug...Full Text Available
Ethnopharmacological relevanceHLXL is a traditional Chinese medicine that has long been used in folk medicine for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases....Full Text Available
Physical activity and sedentary behavior are central components of lifetime weight control; however, our understanding of dimensions of these behaviors in childhood is limited. This study investigated...Full Text Available
Abstract Objective: This study aims to gain an overview of hot topics related to research focused on Chinese herbal drugs by authors inside China and outside of China in the past 10 years. Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE was utilized in order to investigate and select research that was published on ?Chinese herbal drugs?? from 1998 to 2007, by authors located both inside and outside of China (MeSH terms were downloaded and ranked). MeSH terms that frequently appeared were identified and co-word analysis was carried out for two groups: (1) authors located in China, and (2) authors based outside of China, respectively. The hot topics concerning research into Chinese herbal drugs were concluded after cluster analysis and related document analysis. Results: For authors in the China group versus those ...
We investigated the extended-spectrum beta lactamases among 62 Salmonella enterica Typhimurium isolates recovered from children with diarrhea in a Chinese pediatric hospital. A large...Full Text Available
Calcium requirements of North American adolescents were set at 1300 mg/day based on data from white girls. Calcium requirements for Asian-American adolescents have not been studied. Using metabolic...Full Text Available
The devastating earthquake in Sichuan, China on 12 May 2008 left thousands of survivors requiring medical care and intensive rehabilitation. In view of this great demand, the Chinese Speaking Orthopaedic...Full Text Available
In China, Korea, and Japan, a decoction of the dried root without bark of Paeonia lactiflora Pall. has been used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus,...Full Text Available
AIM: To examine the determinants of maternal-neonatal transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV).METHODS: A nested case-control study was conducted in Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic...Full Text Available
This paper investigates whether China has reached postnatal nutrient intake equality between boys and girls, despite an exceptionally high ratio of boys to girls at birth, after dramatic technological advances in prenatal sex determination, rapid increases in income, and improved educational opportunities for females. Dominance methods applied to data from the Chinese Health and Nutrition Surveys (selected years 1991-2004) reveal no bias in calorie consumption between girls and boys. We find some weak evidence of protein bias toward boys in 1991, but it disappeared by 2004. (JEL I32, O15, N35)
Chinese brake fern (Pteris vittata L.), an arsenic (As) hyperaccumulator, has shown the potential to remediate As-contaminated soils. This study investigated the effects of soil amendments on the leachability of As from soils and As uptake by Chinese brake fern. The ferns were grown for 12 weeks in a chromated-copper-arsenate (CCA) contaminated soil or in As spiked contaminated (ASC) soil. Soils were treated with phosphate rock, municipal solid waste, or biosolid compost. Phosphate amendments significantly enhanced plant As uptake from the two tested soils with frond As concentrations increasing up to 265% relative to the control. After 12 weeks, plants grown in phosphate-amended soil removed >8% of soil As. Replacement of As by P from the soil binding sites was responsible for the enhanced mobility of As and subsequent increased plant uptake. Compost additions facilitated As uptake from the CCA soil, but decreased As uptake from the ASC ...
Electricite de France, (EDF) in the late sixties and China through 10. 5-year Plan adopted the same approach of standardized NPPs to benefit from the series effect and to increase and speed up self reliance and localization. This approach also allows to continuously gather the feedback from design, construction and operation and to use it to constantly improve future and present nuclear power plants, by optimizing design features, construction phase and generation performances for safety, quality, cost and schedule aspects. Daya Bay NPP put into commercial operation in 1994 is posting high level safety and operation results. At Ling Ao NPP Chinese engineers of LANPC, with the contribution of the Chinese industry, have efficiency and successfully managed engineering, construction and operation preparation. GNPJVC / LANPC and EDF are developing permanent and mutual experience feedback exchanges in all areas of engineering, maintenance and ...
Continually rising energy prices in global markets highlights a serious concern about the need to improve energy efficiency and the efficiency in energy sector in many countries. China, as one of the fastest growing countries in the world and the largest coal producer, has high coal consumption but a low recovery rate of coal utilization. Coal efficiency and the efficiency in coal industry have therefore attracted a great deal of attention from Chinese policy makers, coal firms and academics. This study attempts to compare the relative technical efficiency performance of listed coal mining companies in China and the US using CCR and BCC models in the advanced DEA linear programming. The results show that the level of relative efficiency in Chinese coal mining enterprises, regardless of total technical efficiency or decomposed pure technical and scale efficiency, is much lower than in American coal firms. The study also highlights the input ...
Continually rising energy prices in global markets highlights a serious concern about the need to improve energy efficiency and the efficiency in the energy sector in many countries. China, as one of the fastest growing countries in the world and the largest coal producer, has high coal consumption but a low recovery rate of coal utilization. Coal efficiency and the efficiency in coal industry have therefore attracted a great deal of attention from Chinese policy makers, coal companies and academics. This study attempts to compare the relative technical efficiency performance of listed coal mining companies in China and the US using CCR and BCC models in advanced data envelopment analysis (DEA) linear programming. The results show that the level of relative efficiency in Chinese coal mining enterprises, regardless of total technical efficiency or decomposed pure technical and scale efficiency, is much lower than in American coal firms. The ...
Continually rising energy prices in global markets highlights a serious concern about the need to improve energy efficiency and the efficiency in energy sector in many countries. China, as one of the fastest growing countries in the world and the largest coal producer, has high coal consumption but a low recovery rate of coal utilization. Coal efficiency and the efficiency in coal industry have therefore attracted a great deal of attention from Chinese policy makers, coal firms and academics. This study attempts to compare the relative technical efficiency performance of listed coal mining companies in China and the US using CCR and BCC models in the advanced DEA linear programming. The results show that the level of relative efficiency in Chinese coal mining enterprises, regardless of total technical efficiency or decomposed pure technical and scale efficiency, is much lower than in American coal firms. The study also highlights the input ...
Russian field surgery with its long history and distinctive characteristics has accumulated great experience in the long-time practice of warfare. Chinese field surgery was established and developed on the basis of studying from the Russian model, which opened up new areas of traffic medicine, molecular traumatology and assessment of biological effects on weapon destruction and carried out in-depth research on wound ballistics, blast injury, burns and combined injury etc. through decades of construction with continuous development and innovation, and a series of major achievements have been made in these fields. By making comparative study on the historical evolution, structure system, characteristics of campaigns and development of society between Chinese and Russian field surgery, it can be found that there are great gaps between them and we should strengthen the research for more rapid development. PMID:20510098
Male traits that correlate with fertilization success include testis size and structure, ejaculate size, ejaculation frequency, and sperm motility. Two hypotheses potentially explain interspecific differences in these traits: sperm competition and sperm limitation. We examined variation in six traits associated with fertilization success in three closely-related species of bitterling fish; the European bitterling (Rhodeus amarus), the Chinese rose bitterling (Rhodeus ocellatus), and the Chinese bitterling (Rhodeus sinensis). Interspecific differences indicated that the three study species have evolved different sperm allocation strategies. Rhodeus amarus displayed the most developed reproductive apparatus with a number of traits associated with both high levels of sperm production and fert...
Background: This study investigates the psychometric properties of the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) in the general population of Hong Kong. Methods: Random sampling was used to recruit 6028 participants aged 15years or over. Among them, 203 were surveyed twice within a two-week period. Participants completed the Chinese version of the PHQ-9 (including 2 items of the PHQ-2), the Chinese Health Questionnaire, the Happiness Scale, the SF-12, and questions about diagnosis and health service utilization. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct and discriminant validity of the PHQ-2 were assessed. Results: Cronbach's a was 0.76. The test-retest reliability over two weeks calculated by intraclass correlation was 0.70. Spearman correlation results showed that the PHQ-2 s...
This article discusses how history, the cultural setting, and the political-ideological contexts may influence educational research in China. It seeks to demonstrate a dichotomy between official and popular discourses, and argues that there is a need for the researcher to understand and interpret the language style used in various interview settings and research publications in China. Further, it is contended that ideology and cultural influences push towards a 'virtuous' or socially acceptable understanding of reality. These ideological and cultural norms may also affect official research data and statistics. Further, the article seeks to demonstrate that for a researcher in China (whether Chinese or not) it is important to cultivate and make use of guanxi (connections), at the same time ...
ObjectivesThe International Network for Young Scientists is holding a China:UK workshop in Shanghai in December. It will focus specifically on Renewable Energy. Profs Wallace and Infield have been invited to be the UK academic partners. Dr. Luo Yong Hao, Deputy Director of Institute for Thermal Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University is the lead Chinese academic partner. British Council Shanghai are the co-ordinators of the event and have obtained some limited funding to cover the costs.. ~%~~%~T [continued...]DescriptionReseachers are being brought together at a China:UK Renewable Energy Research Workshop. They will define and initiate joint research and staff/student exchanges between Chinese and UK universities to advance renewable energy and related research to meet the energy needs of both China and the UK.~%~
The use of natural gas in China is still relatively immature, as gas production only supplies a low percentage of the domestic energy system. In contrast, Chinese economy mainly relies on coal with a 67% share of the total primary energy supply. The environmental impact from this high coal dependence is significant and planners have sought for cleaner energy sources. Natural gas is both cleaner and generally more efficient than coal and gas consumption is rising quickly due to these facts. The growth tendency indicates that natural gas will become an important substitution for coal in some parts of the Chinese primary energy consumption. To quantify this tendency, this paper uses a system dynamics model to create a possible outlook. The results show that the gas consumption in China will c...
Using ultra-high-frequency data extracted from the order flows of 23 stocks traded on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, we study the empirical regularities of order placement in the opening call auction, cool period and continuous auction. The distributions of relative logarithmic prices against reference prices in the three time periods are qualitatively the same with quantitative discrepancies. The order placement behavior is asymmetric between buyers and sellers and between the inside-the-book orders and outside-the-book orders. In addition, the conditional distributions of relative prices in the continuous auction are independent of the bid-ask spread and volatility. These findings are crucial to build an empirical behavioral microscopic model based on order flows for Chinese stocks.
Ethnopharmacological relevance: Tong Luo Jiu Nao (TLJN) is a modern Chinese formula based on Traditional Chinese Medicine theory that has been used to treat ischemic cerebral stroke and vascular dementia. TLJN belongs to the ethnopharmacological family of medicines. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of the TLJN effect on Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aim of the study: To investigate the effect of TLJN on b-amyloid-degrading enzymes and learning and memory in the AD rat brain. Materials and methods: AD rats whose disease was induced by Ab25-35 injection into the bilateral hippocampus CA1 region were subjected to intragastric administration of various preparations. The experimental animals were healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats which were randomly divided into normal, sham, model, TLJN...
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to critically explore business-to-business critical success factors (B2B CSFs) for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the Chinese B2B marketplace, evaluate the findings, and use the generated CSFs to propose a framework to assist in the marketing management of B2B in China. The proposed framework provides a guideline for academics and practitioners and highlights the significant role of each factor in developing and sustaining effective B2B electronic commerce (B2B e-commerce) practice for SMEs. Design/methodology/approach - The proposed framework is constructed by combining the empirical findings and B2B literature. The quantitative (online survey) was targeted at, proprietors, chief executive officers, managing directors, general...
The Chinese banking sector has undergone noteworthy financial reforms, which significantly metamorphosed the banking system. This article seeks to examine the determinants of the profitability of the Chinese banking sector. The empirical analysis is confined to the four State Owned Commercial Banks (SOCBs) and the 12 Joint Stock Commercial Banks (JSCBs) during the postreform period of 2000-2007. The empirical findings of this study suggest that size, credit risk, and capitalization are positively related to the profitability of China banks, whereas liquidity, overhead costs, and network embeddedness have negative impacts. However, the impact of liquidity is not uniform across bank types. We find that the SOCBs with higher level of liquidity tend to be relatively more profitable, which coul...
Continually rising energy prices in global markets highlights a serious concern about the need to improve energy efficiency and the efficiency in energy sector in many countries. China, as one of the fastest growing countries in the world and the largest coal producer, has high coal consumption but a low recovery rate of coal utilization. Coal efficiency and the efficiency in coal industry have therefore attracted a great deal of attention from Chinese policy makers, coal firms and academics. This study attempts to compare the relative technical efficiency performance of listed coal mining companies in China and the US using CCR and BCC models in the advanced DEA linear programming. The results show that the level of relative efficiency in Chinese coal mining enterprises, regardless of tot...
Abstract This study reports the effects of varying concentrations of copper sulfate on the metabolic and gene transcriptional profile of a recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line producing an immunoglobulin G (IgG)-fusion protein (B0). Addition of 50 M copper sulfate significantly decreased lactate accumulation in the cultures while increasing viable cell density and protein titer. These changes could be seen from day 6 and became increasingly evident with culture duration. Reducing the copper sulfate concentration to 5 M retained all the above beneficial effects, but with the added benefit of reduced levels of the aggregated form of the B0 protein. To profile the cellular changes due to copper sulfate addition at the transcriptional level, Affymetrix CHO microarrays were used to...
AbstractBACKGROUND: The authors chose to examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and incident colorectal cancer across the spectrum of BMI, including underweight persons, because detailed prospective cohort data on this topic in Asians is scarce, as is data on underweight persons (BMI, <18.5 kg/m2) in any population. METHODS: Analysis of the Singapore Chinese Health Study included 51,251 men and women aged 45-74 years enrolled in 1993-1998 and followed through 2007. Incident cancer cases and deaths among cohort members were identified through record linkage, and 980 cases were identified. Cox regression models were used to investigate the association of baseline BMI with risk of incident colorectal cancer during a mean of 11.5 years of follow-up. RESULTS: A significant, U-sha...
Large scale production of monoclonal antibodies has been accomplished using bioreactors with different length to diameter ratios, and diverse impeller and sparger designs. The differences in these physical attributes often result in dissimilar mass transfer, mechanical stresses due to turbulence and mixing inside the bioreactor that may lead to disparities in cell growth and antibody production. A rational analysis of impeller design parameters on cell growth, protein expression levels and subsequent antibody production is needed to understand such differences. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of Rushton turbine and marine impeller designs on Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell growth and metabolism, and antibody production and quality. Experiments to evaluate mass transfer...
To further optimize thermo-hydraulic capability of HCSB-TBM, two different thermo-hydraulic schemes would be proposed and investigated by relevant calculating and simulating of thermo-dynamics in normal and peak heat flux condition. With computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code FLUENT, the actual temperature distribution of key components of HCSB-TBM is simulated. (authors)
The penetrance of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) in families with primary mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations is very complex. Matrilineal and nuclear genetic background, as well as environmental factors, have been reported to be involved in different affected pedigrees. Here we describe two large Chinese families that show a striking difference in the penetrance of LHON, in which 53.3% and 15.0% of members were affected (P < 0.02), respectively. Analysis of the complete mtDNA genome of the two families revealed the presence of the primary mutation G11778A and several other variants suggesting the same haplogroup status G2a. The family with higher penetrance contained a previously described secondary mutation G13708A, which presents a polymorphism in normal Chinese samples and does not affect in vivo mitochondrial oxidative metabolism as described in a previous study. Evolutionary analysis failed to indicate any ...
The penetrance of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) in families with primary mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations is very complex. Matrilineal and nuclear genetic background, as well as environmental factors, have been reported to be involved in different affected pedigrees. Here we describe two large Chinese families that show a striking difference in the penetrance of LHON, in which 53.3% and 15.0% of members were affected (P < 0.02), respectively. Analysis of the complete mtDNA genome of the two families revealed the presence of the primary mutation G11778A and several other variants suggesting the same haplogroup status G2a. The family with higher penetrance contained a previously described secondary mutation G13708A, which presents a polymorphism in normal Chinese samples and does not affect in vivo mitochondrial oxidative metabolism as described in a previous study. Evolutionary analysis failed to indicate any putatively ...
Single-event burnout (SEB) sensitivity was tested for power MOSFET devices, JTMCS081 and JTMCS062, which were made in Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, using californium-252 simulation source. SEB voltage threshold was found for devices under test (DUT). It is helpful for engineers to choose devices used in satellites. (authors)
This report introduces present status on food irradiation at home and abroad in detail. It also introduces the scientific research and application in reducing diseases caused by food borne pathogens, quarantine control of import and export products, grain store and killing insects in traditional Chinese medicine. The report also analyzes the problems in developing food irradiation in China and gives some suggestions
Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts V79 cells were treated with heat stress for 4 weeks with short duration (15 min) heat shock every alternate day in culture. It was observed that Hsp...Full Text Available
We conducted a genome-wide association study of gastric cancer (GC) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in ethnic Chinese subjects in which we genotyped 551,152 single nucleotide polymorphisms...Full Text Available
A brief overview is given of the developments in the Dutch offshore industry where new offshore sites appear to be retrofitted or recycled platforms and contractors take over the work from petroleum companies (e.g. as so-called Floating Production Storage Offloading or FPSO). It is expected that in ten years from now a large number of oil platforms will be disappeared or transported to the Chinese Bohai Sea where a new oil field will be explored.
Arsenic was predominantly present as inorganic arsenite in the fronds of the hyperaccumulator Chinese brake. - Arsenic speciation is important not only for understanding the mechanisms of arsenic accumulation and detoxification by hyperaccumulators, but also for designing disposal options of arsenic-rich biomass. The primary objective of this research was to understand the speciation and leachability of arsenic in the fronds of Chinese brake (Pteris vittata L.), an arsenic hyperaccumulator, with an emphasis on the implications for arsenic-rich biomass disposal. Chinese brake was grown for 18 weeks in a soil spiked with 50 mg As kg"-"1 as arsenate (AsO_4"3"-), arsenite (AsO_3"3"-), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), or methylarsonic acid (MMA). Plant samples were extracted with methanol/water (1:1) and arsenic speciation was performed using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with atomic fluorescence spectrometry. The ...
The catalytic liquefaction of a Chinese bituminous coal was simulated by artificial neural network. Three liquefaction variables, catalyst loading, reaction temperature and reaction time were used as inputs and tetrohydrofuran (THF) conversion and toluene (T) conversion were used as outputs. The artificial neural network, trained by the experimental data, could represent the liquefaction process, with a mean squared deviation of less than 0.025. 7 refs.,1 fig., 3 tabs.
In this brief article I review the history of astronomical photometry, touching on observations made by the ancient Chinese, Hipparchus and Ptolemy, the development of the concept (and definition) of magnitude, the endeavors of Argelander and Zoellner, work at Harvard at the end of the 19th century, and the development of photography, photomultipliers, and CCD's and their application to astronomy.
The statistical properties of the bid-ask spread of a frequently traded Chinese stock listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange are investigated using the limit-order book data. Three different definitions of spread are considered based on the time right before transactions, the time whenever the highest buying price or the lowest selling price changes, and a fixed time interval. The results are qualitatively similar no matter linear prices or logarithmic prices are used. The average spread exhibits evident intraday patterns consisting of a big L-shape in the morning and a small L-shape in the afternoon. The distributions of the spread with different definitions decay as power laws. The tail exponents of spreads at transaction level are well within the interval $(2,3)$ and that of average spreads are well in line with the inverse cubic law for different time intervals. Based on the detrended fluctuation analysis, we find evidence of long memory in the bid-ask spread ...
Abstract MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in global gene regulation. Researchers in recombinant protein production have proposed miRNAs as biomarkers and cell engineering targets. However, miRNA expression remains understudied in Chinese Hamster Ovary cells, one of the most commonly used host cell systems for therapeutic protein production. To profile highly conserved miRNA expression, we used the miRCURY- miRNA array for screening miRNAs in CHO cells. The selection criteria for further miRNA profiling included positive hybridization signals and experimentally validated predicted regulatory targets. On the basis of screening, we selected 16 miRNAs for quantitative RT-PCR profiling. We profiled miR expression in parental CHO DG44 and CHO K1 cell lines as well as four recombinant DG44...
Marmesin was isolated from the medicinal plant, Afraegle paniculata. Its cytotoxicity and mutagenicity in Chinese hamster V79 cells when sensitized to near ultraviolet (NUV) and long wavelength ultraviolet light or black light (BL) were assayed. Marmesin was extremely cytotoxic in the dark. This cytotoxicity was photoenhanced in NUV and BL; the photoenhanced lethality being higher in NUV than in BL. The LD/sub 50/ of marmesin under NUV and BL photosensitization were 0.002 ..mu..M and (0.012 ..mu..M), respectively. In the absence of NUV and BL, marmesin's LD/sub 50/ was 0.013 ..mu..M.NUV and BL without marmesin were not significantly cytotoxic at the fluence rates of 0.29 W/m/sup 2/ and 4.2 W/m/sup 2/, respectively, for up to 20 min. In contrast to the observed high cytotoxicity of marmesin, its mutagenicity at the HGPRT locus (Asub(z)Gsup(r)) was weak. The implication of this result in the high incidence of skin cancer in Nigeria in which A. paniculata is ...
Experiments were carried out on mice and the subjects irradiated for cancer therapy to evaluate the protective efficacy of a Chinese medicinal herb-compound (CMHC). The lethality and the degree of leucopenia caused by radiation in mice medicated with CMHC were significantly less in comparison with control mice (p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.001, respectively). CMHC significantly improved the WBC and the thrombocytes in irradiated workers (p less than 0.01 and p less than 0.001, respectively). The WBC count of 40 patients under radiotherapy while treated with CMHC recovered from 3450 +/- 77/c.mm to 5425 +/- 264/c.mm (p less than 0.001); whereas, in the control group, without any medication, the WBC count dropped significantly (p less than 0.001). Our results revealed the applicabilities of CMHC in protection against radiation damage in spaceflight and in other fields.
Aims: The present study explored the integrative effect of genes encoding methadone pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic pathways on methadone maintenance doses in Han Chinese Patients. Materials & methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from 321 opioid-dependent patients and 202 healthy controls, and realtime-PCR and PCR-RFLP were conducted to determine the genotypes. Results: Pair-wise comparisons revealed that carriers of the variants ABCB1 3435C>T or CYP2B6 516G>T alleles were more likely to require a higher methadone dose than noncarriers (both p G or 939C>T allele had a two-fold chance of requiring a lower methadone dose than noncarriers (p = 0.001). Proportional odds regression with adjustment of cofactors demonstrated that ...
Dynamic behaviors of gaseous sulfur-containing compounds evolved from pyrolysis of six Chinese coals were studied in the temperature range of up to 800{sup o}C under N{sub 2} and H{sub 2}. The released amount of total sulfur-containing gases was traced by an online flame photometric detector (FPD). Simultaneously, the changes of different sulfur forms, including H{sub 2}S, SO{sub 2}, COS and CS{sub 2}, also were investigated using an online mass spectrometer (MS). FPD results show that the effect of H{sub 2} on gaseous sulfur evolved is complex, which promoted certain peak and suppresses other peaks. Based on the data from MS, it is suggested that a series of competitive reactions between active sulfur and other active matters during pyrolysis may impact on the sulfur form in gas phase. Interactions between active sulfur-containing intermediates and the coal matrix are attributed to be the main factor determining the dynamic behavior.
As the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in China has come to the forefront of public health attention, female sex workers (FSWs) and their clients (CFSWs) are becoming increasingly important to HIV/STI prevention efforts. This secondary analysis uses data abstracted from the Chinese Health and Family Life Survey 1999-2000 to report prevalence rates of two STIs as well as sexual risk behaviors for CFSWs - men who paid for sex with FSWs in the past 12 months - in comparison with men who had not patronized FSWs. Among 1879 Chinese CFSWs who completed anonymous interviews and urine testing, 152 (6.3%, weighted) said they had paid for sex in the past 12 months and 18.8% of CFSWs (weighted) tested positive for gonorrhea. CFSWs were 10 times more likely t...
This Publications Catalogue lists all sales publications of the IAEA published in 2004, 2005 and forthcoming in 2006. Most IAEA publications are issued in English, some are also available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish. This is indicated at the bottom of the book entry. A complete listing of all IAEA priced publications is available on the IAEA's web site: http://www.iaea.org/books
In a quantitative survey of religious attitudes and practices in a multi-religious sample of 369 school pupils aged between 13 and 15 in London, the presence of a home shrine was found widespread in 11% of adolescents spanning several religious affiliations and ethnicities - especially Buddhists, Hindus and those of Indian, Chinese and 'Other Asian' ethnicity. Having a home shrine correlated significantly with spiritual attitudes such as agreement with filial piety, the Eightfold Path, subjectivity of happiness, meditation, Sikh festivals, reincarnation and opening Gurdwaras to all. It is suggested that teachers and the social services should be aware of the importance of shrines to many religious communities and recognise their potential as a spiritual asset and manifestation of religion ...
The influence of Confucian culture in Chinese Mainland China is reflected in the current situation and contextual trends of educational research content of educational thought of Confucianism, educational issues grounded on theoretical views of Confucianism, and the influence of the inclusiveness of Confucianism. In terms of research method, the current situation of educational research is reflected in empirical research whose methods value the construction of the metaphysical theoretical system, the guiding role of educational theories for educational reform practice, and research that enriches the literature. In terms of research value, the current situation of educational research is reflected in studies that focus on human nature, human relations, thoughts, willpower, emotion, human ri...
This paper engages in a critical discussion of the key features delineated by the other authors in this Special Issue thus serving as an end-piece for the issue. In particular it touches on three significant concepts. Firstly, it reinforces the importance of context, particularly cultural context in the conduct of research in Confucian cultural settings. Second, as an illustration, it offers a critical perspective on the cultural assumptions that underpin the development of Chinese higher education. Finally, it concludes with some reflections on how other papers in this Special Issue contribute to our understanding of research in CHC contexts.
The dynamics of the controlled environment conditions in the SVET-4 space greenhouse model were investigated, using computerized equipment to continuously measure and collect the values of the inside environment parameters, which were then sent to earth. The on-ground analysis of telemetric data for the first 29 days indicated that radishes and the Chinese cabbage plants planted in SVET-4 grew under normal temperature conditions, but in insufficient substrate moisture. After supplying the necessary quantity of water, the analysis of the first 54 days of experiment is continuing. 2 refs.
Unit one of Daya Bay, China's first nuclear power plant was officially opened in February 1994. The nuclear island has been built by Framatome and is an improved version of the Gravelines 5 and 6, 900MWe Pressurized Water Reactors. Extra seismic protection has been included because of greater earthquake risk. The heat exchanger capacity has also been increased as the sea cooling water can be at 30"oC. The technical specifications and details of the fuel loading are given. The technical assistance, management and training of Chinese personnel are discussed. Two further units may be built if Daya Bay 1 is successful. (UK).
Cinnabar, a naturally occurring mercuric sulfide (HgS), has long been used in combination with traditional Chinese medicine as a sedative for more than 2000 years. Up to date, its pharmacological and toxicological effects are still unclear, especially in clinical low-dose and long-term use. In this study, we attempted to elucidate the effects of cinnabar on the time course of changes in locomotor activities, pentobarbital-induced sleeping time, motor equilibrium performance and neurobiochemical activities in mice during 3- to 11-week administration at a clinical dose of 10 mg/kg/day. The results showed that cinnabar was significantly absorbed by gastrointestinal (G-I) tract and transported to brain tissues. The spontaneous locomotor activities of male mice but not female mice were preferentially suppressed. Moreover, frequencies of jump and stereotype-1 episodes were progressively decreased after 3-week oral administration in male and female mice. ...
Based on results from recent studies of elemental dietary intake and organ or tissue content for adult Chinese men, quoted nationwide elemental concentrations in Chinese soil and newly published national average consumption of dietary foods, values of both transfer coefficients and discrimination factor (DF) for transfer from soil via the diet to both critical organs and the whole body have been calculated for important elements in radiation protection, including alkaline earths, alkali metals, rare earths and other related elements. These calculations have used both the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) model and the DF method. In the UNSCEAR model, the basic parameters used to describe the transport of radionuclides are the transfer coefficients P_i_j, which describe the relationship of concentrations or other amounts between compartment i and the following compartment j, whereas the DF is the ...
The synapsin III gene, SYN3, which belongs to the family of synaptic vesicle-associated proteins, has been implicated in the modulation of neurotransmitter release and in synaptogenesis, suggesting a potential role in several neuropsychiatric diseases. The human SYN3 gene is located on chromosome 22q12-13, a candidate region implicated in previous linkage studies of schizophrenia. However, association studies of SYN3 and schizophrenia have produced inconsistent results. In this study, four SYN3 SNPs (rs133945 (-631 C>G), rs133946 (-196 G>A), rs9862 and rs1056484) were tested in three sets of totally 3759 samples that comprise 655 affected subjects and 626 controls in the Irish Case-Control Study of Schizophrenia (ICCSS), 1350 samples incorporating 273 pedigrees in the Irish Study of High Density Schizophrenia Families (ISHDSF), and 564 unrelated schizophrenia patients and 564 healthy individuals in a Chinese case-control sample. The expression levels of SYN3 ...
Ethnopharmacological relevance: Ethnobotanically driven drug-discovery programs include data related to many aspects of the preparation of botanical medicines, from initial plant collection to chemical extraction and fractionation. The Traditional Medicine Collection Tracking System (TM-CTS) was created to organize and store data of this type for an international collaborative project involving the systematic evaluation of commonly used Traditional Chinese Medicinal plants. Materials and methods: The system was developed using domain-driven design techniques, and is implemented using Java, Hibernate, PostgreSQL, Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools (BIRT), and Apache Tomcat. Results: The TM-CTS relational database schema contains over 70 data types, comprising over 500 data fields. Th...
This study uses the European Patent Office worldwide patent database and applies two-stage interactive data collection methods to reveal the evolving technological interdependence for China's emerging biofuel industry. Three findings are excerpted from our empirical results. First, due to dominant patterns of business ownership, China's biofuel technology is seen as largely based on the evolutionary strength of the foodstuff and chemical fields. Second, China's biofuel technology development has evolved in the mode of 'forward engineering', led by Chinese universities rather than initiated by the public research institutes as in the experience of other East Asian latecomers. Third, our patent map and technology trajectory analyses illustrate that China's biofuel technology tends to be appl...
Soil erodibility (the K factor in the Universal Soil Loss Equation, USLE) is an important index to measure soil susceptibility to water erosion, and an essential parameter needed for soil erosion prediction. To evaluate the appropriateness of the nomograph and other methods for estimating the K factor for the USLE and to develop a relationship for soil erodibility estimation for Chinese soils, a set of soil erodibility values was calculated using soil loss data from natural runoff plots at 13 sites in eastern China. The definition of soil erodibility in relation to the USLE was strictly followed. Comparing these measured values to those estimated using the nomograph method, the method adopted for the EPIC model and the formula of Shirazi and Boersma, we found that all these estimated soil ...
Given the widely accepted notion of whole person education in Confucian societies such as Hong Kong, Mainland China and Singapore, it is surprising that research literature originated in these societies pays little attention to how students learn and develop through out-of-class experiences at university. There is little research evidence on how the prevailing culture among student social communities (residential halls and student societies/clubs) influences students? social involvement and development. This paper examines 42 Chinese students? social experiences and development during their freshman year at a Hong Kong university. The majority of them were intensively involved in out-of-class activities. Their active social involvement was both a response to the culture of student communit...
OBJECTIVE:- To determine the effectiveness and safety of short-term treatment of infliximab (IFX) in a group of Chinese patients with active Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS:- Patients with established diagnosis of active CD were treated with IFX intravenously with a dose of 5-mg/kg at week 0, 2, 6. Clinical assessments were performed at baseline (week 0) and every week after IFX infusion until 8 weeks after the induction dose. RESULTS:- Fourteen patients (nine male, five female) with a mean age of 29.7 years (range from 15 to 65 years) were included in the analysis. The mean subjective scores were decreased from 2.85--0.57 at baseline to 1.3--0.4 at week 14 (P-CONCLUSIONS:- Treatment with three infusions of IFX at a dose of 5-mg/kg was effective for induction of remission for active CD patie...
Abstract Iodine concentrates in gastric tissue and may act as an antioxidant for the stomach. We previously showed that self-reported goiter was associated with significantly increased risk of gastric noncardia adenocarcinoma (GNCA) and nonsignificantly increased risks of gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in a prospective case-cohort study in a high-risk population in China. Negatively correlated with iodine levels, serum thyroglobulin (Tg) is a more sensitive biomarker of iodine deficiency than goiter. Our study aimed to determine whether baseline serum Tg was also associated with development of GNCA, GCA and ESCC in the same cohort, the Linxian General Population Nutrition Intervention Trial. Sera from -200 subjects of each case type and 40...
Research on and with ethnic minority students is characterised by a growing international literature that privileges 'liberal multiculturalism' as a lens through which to understand their experiences, yet ethnic diversity is constructed and responded to in many societies that are not underpinned by liberal democratic values. In this paper we use Joppke's binary to show how researching ethnic minority students outside of a liberal democratic framework requires methodologies that enable researchers to see beyond the invisibility that is often attached to ethnic minorities. We show how invisibility (i.e. antidiscrimination) can also be further culturally constructed, confounding even more any broader multicultural project. We canvass four broad areas including the role of legally binding legi...
In this article, we propose a model selection method, the Bayesian composite model space approach, to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) in a half-sib population for continuous and binary traits. In our method, the identity-by-descent-based variance component model is used. To demonstrate the performance of this model, the method was applied to map QTL underlying production traits on BTA6 in a Chinese half-sib dairy cattle population. A total of four QTLs were detected, whereas only one QTL was identified using the traditional least square (LS) method. We also conducted two simulation experiments to validate the efficiency of our method. The results suggest that the proposed method based on a multiple-QTL model is efficient in mapping multiple QTL for an outbred half-sib population and is more powerful than the LS method based on a single-QTL model. PMID:21487433
The phase composition and microstructure of O'-sialon prepared from Chinese coal gangue have been studied. The use of Si powder is more effective than that of activated carbon or mainly carbon with a little silicon for reduction-nitridation. For specimens with 40% Si addition, more than 80% of O'-sialon may be obtained when nitrided at 1500 degree sign C. The formed O'-sialon was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The parameters for O'-Sialon preparation are optimized by computer pattern recognition program based on principal component analysis, the target parameter optimum regions with higher relative content of O'-Sialon was indicated by this way.
Improving the performance of the Chinese B135 six-cylinder direct injection turbocharged and turbocompounded Low Heat Rejection Engine (LHRE) was based on experimental and analytical studies. The studies were primarily applied on a B1135 single-cylinder LHR engine and a conventional water-cooled B1135 single-cylinder engine. Performance of the B1135 LHRE was worse than that of the conventional B1135 due to a deterioration in the combustion process of the B1135 LHRE. The combustion process was improved and the fuel injection system was redesigned and applied to the B135 six-cylinder LHRE. The new design improved the performance of the LHRE and better fuel economy was realized by the thermal energy recovered from the exhaust gases by the turbocompounding system.
This paper reports the chemical compositions of chicken-blood stone Ji Xue Shi measured by Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE). The experimental result show that for the red portion of chicken-blood stone, the concentration of Hg is as high as 20 wt%, and the concentration of S can be above 10 wt%. For the non-red portion the main chemical compositions are Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and SiO{sub 2}. The obtained chemical compositions are close to those of kaolinite for Balin chicken-blood stone, and of pyrophyllite for Changhua chicken-blood stone, respectively. So far many Changhua chicken-blood stones and Balin chicken-blood stones were found in China, the PIXE method can be used to explore the provenance of available chicken-blood stones. (author)
Summary Objective To find out whether there was over-reporting of SARS patients in mainland China in view of the relatively low case fatality ratio in mainland China, in comparison with other affected countries and areas. Methods We searched PubMed for all SARS antibody detection papers (in English or Chinese language) using the keywords `SARS' and `antibody'. Then the resulting articles were further read through to select the SARS detection results using ELISA methods of serum samples collected at least 1 month after disease onset. A multi-level logistic regression was applied to test for possible differences in the proportions positive between locations of the study. Results A total of 48 studies were identified, including 39 from mainland China and nine from elsewhere (Hong Kong, Taiwan...
In contrast to language, where pitch patterns consist of continuous and curvilinear contours, musical pitch consists of relatively discrete, stair-stepped sequences of notes. Behavioral and neurophysiological studies suggest that both tone-language and music experience enhance the representation of pitch cues associated with a listener's domain of expertise, e.g., curvilinear pitch in language, discrete scale steps in music. We compared brainstem frequency-following responses (FFRs) of English-speaking musicians (musical pitch experience) and native speakers of Mandarin Chinese (linguistic pitch experience) elicited by rising and falling tonal sweeps that are exemplary of Mandarin tonal contours but uncharacteristic of the pitch patterns typically found in music. In spite of musicians' unf...
Abstract Results of numerous experiments conducted over the past 15-years by using behavioural as well as brain imaging methods have shown that musical expertise influences brain anatomy, brain functions and behaviour. The musician- brain is thus considered as a very good model of brain plasticity. Moreover, many results have demonstrated that musical expertise not only impacts on music processing but also on several aspects of speech processing including lexical pitch, sentence intonation and the metric structure of words. Conversely, recent results indicated that linguistic expertise with tone or quantity languages such as Mandarin Chinese, Thai, Finnish and Japanese, influences the processing of harmonic tones and musical intervals. We discuss possible interpretations of these findings ...
Adipose tissue plays an essential role in energy homeostasis as a metabolic and endocrine organ. Accordingly, adipocytes are emerging as a major drug target for obesity and obesity-mediated metabolic syndrome. Dysfunction of enlarged adipocytes in obesity is involved in obesity-mediated metabolic syndrome. Adipocytokines, such as adiponectin released from small adipocytes, are able to prevent these disorders. In this study, we found that honokiol, an ingredient of Magnolia officinalis used in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicines, enhanced adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Oil Red O staining showed that treatment with honokiol in the presence of insulin dose-dependently increased lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 preadipoyctes although its activity was weak compared with r...
Since high resolution sequence stratigraphy was introduced into China by DENG Hong-wen in 1995, it has been experienced two development stages in China which are the beginning stage of theory research and development of theory research and application, and the stage of theoretical maturity and widely application that is going into. It is proved by practices that high resolution sequence stratigraphy plays more and more important roles in the exploration and development of oil and gas in Chinese continental oil-bearing basin and the research field spreads to the exploration of coal mine, uranium mine and other strata deposits. However, the theory of high resolution sequence stratigraphy still has some shortages, it should be improved in many aspects. The authors point out that high resolution sequence stratigraphy should be characterized quantitatively and modelized by computer techniques. (authors)
The iron foundry industry is considered to be a potential source of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). This study investigated the emission factors and total emission amounts of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) from iron foundries in China. The concentrations and the World Health Organization toxicity equivalents (WHO-TEQs) are presented and the congener profiles are discussed in this paper. In the present work, 26 fly ash samples were collected and tested to quantify the PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs generated by 14 plants of different scales, and five stack gas samples were collected from two (named as EFG and LFG) of those plants. The emission levels of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs indicated that hot-air cupolas had lower emissions than cold-air cupol...
Abstract The glycosylation profile of therapeutic antibodies is routinely analyzed throughout development to monitor the impact of process parameters and to ensure consistency, efficacy, and safety for clinical and commercial batches of therapeutic products. In this study, unusually high levels of the mannose-5 (Man5) glycoform were observed during the early development of a therapeutic antibody produced from a Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line, model cell line A. Follow up studies indicated that the antibody Man5 level was increased throughout the course of cell culture production as a result of increasing cell culture medium osmolality levels and extending culture duration. With model cell line A, Man5 glycosylation increased more than twofold from 12% to 28% in the fed-batch process...
Using institutional and resource dependence theories as the conceptual framework, this study identifies three forms of conformity?political, economic, and social?that can affect the level of private entrepreneurs? formal political participation in a transition economy. Data from a 2004 national-wide survey of 3,012 private firms in China show that political conformity (indicated by membership in the ruling party), economic conformity (amount of taxes paid), and social conformity (amount of charity donated) are each antecedents to private entrepreneurs? formal political participation. Moreover, political conformity negatively moderates the relationship between social conformity and private entrepreneurs? formal political participation?for party members, a lesser amount of charity is associa...
The research project aimed at the selection or development of wear-reducing measures for submerged components of hydroelectric power plants. This comprised the optimisation of hydraulic profiles as well as materials testing for abrasion and cavitation. Another field of research was the development of appropriate application processes. (orig.) [German] Das Hauptziel des Forschungsvorhabens bestand in der Auswahl bzw. Entwicklung geeigneter Schutzmassnahmen zur Verschleissminderung an wasserberuehrten Komponenten von Wasserkraftanlagen. Diesem Ziel untergeordnet waren neben der Optimierung hydraulischer Profile auch Materialuntersuchungen hinsichtlich Verschleissbestaendigkeit gegenueber Abrasion und Kavitation. Ebenso war die Entwicklung geeigneter Applikationsprozesse ein wichtiger Bestandteil der Aufgabenstellung. (orig.)
Objective To demonstrate clinical features of a patient subgroup presenting with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) without polycystic ovary morphology. Design Retrospective study. Setting Hospital-based IVF center. Patient(s) In the present study, 876 PCOS patients were selected from women who visited the Reproductive Medicine Center at Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, between September 2004 and October 2006. Women with PCOS were divided into two groups based on ultrasound image: group A, PCOS patients with classic polycystic ovary (n = 800); group B, PCOS patients without polycystic ovary morphology (n = 76). The following available data were analyzed in the large cohort of women: body height, weight, waistline, hip circumference, hirsutism scores, family history, serum s...
We determined the chromosomal localization and structure of the gene encoding human type II inosine 5{prime}-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH, EC 1.1.1.205), an enzyme associated with cellular proliferation, malignant transformation, and differentiation. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers specific for type II IMPDH, we screened a panel of human-Chinese hamster cell somatic hybrids and a separate deletion panel of chromosome 3 hybrids and localized the gene to 3p21.1{yields}p24.2. Two overlapping yeast artificial chromosome clones containing the full gene for type II IMPDH were isolated and a physical map of 117 kb of human genomic DNA in this region of chromosome 3 was constructed. The gene for type II IMPDH was localized and oriented on this map and found to span no more than 12.5 kb.
Changes in soil properties and vegetable growth were quantified on a low-fertility tropical soil. Four treatments (two composts, urea, and control) were applied to an Oxisol (Rhodic Haplustox, Wahiawa series) in a field on Oahu, Hawaii. Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa, Chinensis group) and eggplant (Solanum melongena) were grown sequentially as test crops. Soil quality as measured by hot-water-soluble carbon, dehydrogenase activity, and cation exchange capacity (CEC) increased by compost amendments. Total organic carbon or carbon dioxide (CO2) respiration rate did not correlate with the soil amendments. Nitrogen (N) nutrition was the main factor that improved growth and carotenoid content in cabbage. The urea treatment promoted better growth in cabbage, whereas good-quality compost, made of...
Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the world and about half of the patients with colorectal cancer require adjuvant therapy after surgical resection. Therefore, the eradication of cancer cells via chemotherapy constitutes a viable approach to treating patients with colorectal cancer. In this study, the effects of bufalin isolated from a traditional Chinese medicine were evaluated and characterized in HT-29 and Caco-2 human colon cancer cells. Contrary to its well-documented apoptosis-promoting activity in other cancer cells, bufalin did not cause caspase-dependent cell death in colon cancer cells, as indicated by the absence of significant early apoptosis as well as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and caspase-3 cleavage. Instead, bufalin activated an autophagy...
This paper investigates the relationship between environmental pollution and economic growth in China based on the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis, using Chinese provincial data over 1985?2005. Waste gas, waste water and solid wastes are used as environmental indicators and GDP is used as the economic indicator. It is found by panel cointegration test that there is a long-run cointegrating relationship between the per capita emission of three pollutants and the per capita GDP. According to comparisons with the dynamic OLS estimator and the Within OLS estimator, we find that panel cointegration estimation is preferable for all pollutants except for solid wastes. The results also show that all three pollutants are inverse U-shaped, and water pollution has been improved earlier than ga...
Ionizing radiations that differ in number, size, and distribution of energy deposition events might be expected to cause different effects for the same absorbed dose. Furthermore, microdosimetry calculations suggest that large variations in biological effectiveness might be expected for internally deposited alpha-emitting radionuclides for the same absorbed dose, depending upon the specific activity and spatial distribution of the sources in tissue. The study described in this article was designed to demonstrate these phenomena in vitro. Cultured Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1 BH4) cells were exposed in vitro to inert, insoluble ceramic microspheres in zirconium dioxide labeled with "2"3"9Pu. The average exit energy of the 5.15 MeV alpha particle was calculated to be 4.3 MeV. Exposure times varied from four to seven hours to achieve the desired dose level.
This book brings together the 103 presentations given at the 2. conference of the international institute of refrigeration (IIF/IIR) about air conditioning in high rise office buildings. The main themes are: design of air conditioning equipment for high buildings; air quality and thermal comfort inside these buildings; constraints and possible improvements of the refrigeration equipment used; energy conservation; fire protection and smokes detection. All themes are presented both on the technical and economical points of view and concern more particularly the buildings of Chinese cities. This publication is available both on the book and CD-Rom forms. (J.S.)
Glycyrrhiza glabra root is one of the common traditional Chinese medicines and used as flavoring and sweetening agents for tobaccos, chewing gums, candies, toothpaste and beverages. While glycyrrhizin is one of the main components in the extract of G. glabra root and has been characterized, the other components have not been well characterized. The mechanism of growth activation of breast cancer MCF-7 cells, including the activation of Erk1/2 and Akt, and the transcriptional regulation of estrogen-responsive genes, was examined by means of sulforhodamine B, luciferase reporter gene, real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting assays after the induction of the cells with the extract of G. glabra root. The extract has similar activity to that induced by 17b-estradiol (E2), although glycyrrhizin di...
Abstract One of the most significant problems in industrial bioprocessing of recombinant proteins using engineered mammalian cells is the phenomenon of cell line instability, where a production cell line suffers a loss of specific productivity (qP). This phenomenon occurs with unpredictable kinetics and has been widely observed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines and with all commonly used gene expression systems. The underlying causes (both genetic and physiological) and the precise molecular mechanisms underpinning cell line instability have yet to be fully elucidated, although recombinant gene silencing and loss of recombinant gene copies have been shown to cause qP loss. In this work we have investigated the molecular mechanisms underpinning qP instability over long-term sub-cult...
This paper addresses the influence of CHC on how the insider/outsider distinction is drawn and what consequences follow for the conduct of research. The paper outlines the methodological complexities faced by us whilst conducting our respective research projects in Hong Kong. In the studies reported in this paper we, the researchers, were insiders at one level as both of us have a degree of familiarity with Hong Kong being residents of the city. We were also insiders on a professional level in the contexts under study. However being ethnically non-Chinese positioned us as outsiders. Additionally, our Western-trained research selves accepted certain normative paradigms, whilst our own personal ethno-centricities tended to question these self-same paradigms. In sum, the research context for ...
In order to demonstrate possible specific effects of microwaves at the cellular level V-79 Chinese hamster cells were exposed to 2.45-GHz radiation at power levels of 20-200 mW/cm2 and at specific absorption rates of 10-100 mW/g. Intracellular cytoplasmic changes were observed by fluorescence polarization using a method based on the intracellular enzymatic hydrolysis of nonfluorescent fluorescein diacetate (FDA). At levels of absorbed energy below 90 J/g, modifications of microviscosity and mitochondrial state were absent, but a slight stimulation of enzymatic hydrolysis of FDA was observed which may be explained by microwave-induced alterations of cellular membranes possibly due to differences in heating pattern of microwaves compared to water-bath heating. At levels of absorbed energy above 90 J/g, the decrease of enzymatic hydrolysis of FDA, increase in degree of polarization, and increase of permeation of the fluorescent marker correlated well with the decrease ...
Both soil and plant samples of nine different plant species grown in soils from southeastern China contaminated with uranium mine tailings were analyzed for the plant uptake and translocation of "2"3"8U, "2"2"6Ra and "2"3"2Th. Substantial differences were observed in the soil-plant transfer factor (TF) among these radionuclides and plant species. Lupine (Lupinus albus) exhibited the highest uptake of "2"3"8U (TF value of 3.7x10"-"2), while Chinese mustard (Brassica chinensis) had the least (0.5x10"-"2). However, in the case of "2"2"6Ra and "2"3"2Th, the highest TFs were observed for white clover (Trifolium pratense) (3.4x10"-"2) and ryegrass (Lolium perenne) (2.1x10"-"3), respectively. "2"3"2Th in the tailings/soil mixture was less available for plant uptake than "2"2"6Ra or "2"3"8U, and this was especially evident for Chinese mustard and corn (Zea mays). The root/shoot (R/S) ratios obtained for different plants and radionuclides shown that ...
The gasification reactivities of six typical Chinese anthracite chars with steam and CO{sub 2} at 0.02-0.1 MPa and 920-1050{sup o}C were investigated by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The reactivities of anthracite chars during steam gasification were found to have a good correlation to the coal volatile matter contents. The higher the coal volatile matter content, the higher the reactivity. The difference in reactivities of anthracite chars during CO{sub 2} gasification seems to be more dependent on the catalytic effect of inherent minerals in anthracite. The results show that the greater the alkali index, the higher the reactivity. The reactivities of demineralized anthracite chars vary very little compared with those the undemineralized chars at higher temperatures, whereas the reactivities of demineralized chars from Jincheng and Rujigou are lower than those of undemineralized ones and the reactivities of demineralized chars from Yangquan, Hunan, ...
Over the past 15 years, the People's Republic of China has experienced very rapid economic growth of annual average 8%, which must be supported by fast expanding energy production, notably of electricity. China has the considerable amount of coal resources, but most of these resources are located in the north of the country, and the vast hydroelectric potential in Southwestern China is difficult to develop. Therefore, in the coastal provinces of Southeast China, where economic expansion is greatest, nuclear power has been chosen to meet the need. The Qinshan No. 1 PWR with 300 MWe output is the first Chinese nuclear power facility, and started the operation in 1992. Two 985 MWe PWRs have been operated since 1994 at Daya Bay. The construction of Qinshan No. 2 and 3 PWRs of 600 MWe each are in progress, and are expected to start the operation in 2001. These plants were designed by China based on the Framatome technology. Two more 985 MWe plants will be constructed on ...
These classroom guides, designed to accompany the daily CNN (Cable News Network) Newsroom broadcasts for the month of October 2000, provide program rundowns, suggestions for class activities and discussion, student handouts, and a list of related news terms. Top stories include: Chinese authorities detain Falun Gong protesters on Tiananmen Square and Pope John Paul II angers China by canonizing Chinese martyrs, U.S. presidential candidates prepare for the first presidential debate, U.S. presidential candidates debate education issues, Danville, Kentucky prepares for the first U.S. vice presidential debate, and Yugoslav protesters seize parliament (October 2-6); Yugoslavian president Vojislav Kostunica takes office, recent clashes between Arabs and Israelis concern neighboring Arab states, North Korea observes 55 years of communism with celebrations, Al Gore and George W. Bush meet in the second presidential debate, and Violence in the Mideast ...
This study is aimed at exploring the possible mechanism of hypnosis-enhancing effect of HgS or cinnabar (a traditional Chinese medicine containing more than 95% HgS) in mice treated with pentobarbital. We also examined whether the effect of HgS is different from that of the well-known methyl mercury (MeHg). After a short period (7 days) of oral administration to mice, a nontoxic dose (0.1 g/kg) of HgS not only significantly enhanced pentobarbital-induced hypnosis but also attenuated tolerance induction; while a higher dose (1 g/kg) of HgS or cinnabar exerted an almost irreversible enhancing effect on pentobarbital-hypnosis similar to that of MeHg (2 mg/kg) tested, which was still effective even after 10 or 35 days cessation of administration. To study comparatively the effects of different mercury forms from oral administration of MeHg and HgS on membrane ATPase activities of experimental mice, analysis of the Hg content in the cerebral cortex revealed that ...
12 kind of environmental samples such as soil, underground water, seawater, etc. around the Nuclear Power Plants(NPP) and surface seawater around the Korea peninsula were sampled, For the samples of rain, pine-needle, air, seawater, underground water, chinese cabbage, grain of rice and milk sampled around NPP, and surface seawater and rain sampled all around country, tritium concentration was measured, The tritium concentration in the tap water and the gamma activity in the domestic and imported beef that were sampled at ward in the large city in Korea(Seoul, Pusan, Taegu, Taejun, Inchun, Kwangju) were analyzed for the meat and drinking waters. As the results of analyzing, tritium concentration in rain and tap water were very low all around country, but a little higher around the NPP than general surrounding. At the Wolsung NPP, tritium concentration was descend according to distance from the stack. Tritium activity of surface seawater around the Korea peninsula ...
I review the past and present of wound ballistics research in China and look toward the future of this subject. The main points area as follows: (1) Before the 1970s, China did not conduct any experimental study on wound ballistics. (2) After the 1970s, experts in ordnance and medicine closely cooperated to conduct a series of experiments or tests on wound ballistics, such as wounding effects and the mechanism of various high-speed projectiles, the treatment of the protection from firearm wounds, high quality of ammunition design, lethality criterion, blast injuries, etc. Between 1981 and 1993, four national symposia on wound ballistics were held in China. In 1988, China sponsored the Sixth International Symposium on wound Ballistics. China has made great contributions to this subject. (3) As for the future of Chinese research on wound ballistics, I suggest strengthening the following areas: the relationship with weapons traumatology; the basic science research on ...
The relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of interleukin-17 (IL-17A), transforming growth factor @b (TGF-@b), as well as its receptor (TGFR-@b2) and susceptibility to intracerebral hemorrhage in patients with brain arteriovenous malformation (BAVM) was investigated in the present study. A total of 53 patients with BAVM and 120 healthy controls were recruited, all of whom were Han Chinese from South China. There were no statistically significant differences in the IL-17A-197 guanine/adenine (G/A) or TGF-@b1-509 cytosine/thymine (C/T) genotypes or gene frequencies between BAVM patients and controls (p>0.05), but the gene frequency of the TGFR-@b2-875 A/G genotype in patients with BAVM was significantly higher (p<0.05). Furthermore, the frequencies of the G allele of IL-17...
In the research of a more efficient, less costly, more environmentally responsible and less technically difficult method for generating electrical power from coal, `the Partially Gasified Coal Fired Combined Cycle with a CFBC with Different Speeds (DFBC)` is introduced by Tsinghua University. The high efficiency cycle includes gasification, compressed air heating in a fluidized bed immersed air heater followed by a combustor and the heat recovery of gas turbine exhausted gas used as the combustion of coal in the differential-velocity atmospheric circulating fluidized bed. Superheated steam is raised in the DFBC boiler. A preliminary analysis is made for the choice of combined cycle components. The computer program can be used to evaluate the design and off-design performance of the power plant. The simulation results show that the new system is a valuable coal fired combined cycle system for China, mainly to the improvement of the existing power plants. (orig.)
Rapid growth in economic development, coupled with the absence of an electric grid in large areas of the rural countryside, have created a need for new energy sources both in urban centers and rural areas in China. Environmental pollution from the increased use of coal-fired steam turbines to meet this capacity expansion is a concern. There is a growing interest in China to develop renewable-energy resources and technologies to meet energy demands and help mitigate pollution problems. In February 1995, Secretary Hazel O`Leary of the U.S. Department of Energy signed an Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Protocol Agreement with the Chinese State Science and Technology Commission in Beijing, China. Under this agreement, projects using photovoltaics for rural electrification are being conducted in Gansu Province in western China and Inner Mongolia in northern China, providing the basis for much wider deployment and use of photovoltaics for meeting the growing rural ...
The human zinc finger protein genes (ZFX/Y) were identified as a result of a systematic search for the testis-determining factor gene on the human Y chromosome. Although they play no direct role in sex determination, they are of particular interest because they are highly conserved among mammals, birds, and amphibians and because, in eutherian mammals at least, they have active alleles on both the X and the Y chromosomes outside the pseudoautosomal region. We used in situ hybridization to localize the homologues of the zinc finger protein gene to chromosome 1 of the Australian echidna and to an equivalent position on chromosomes 1 and 2 of the playtpus. The localization to platypus chromosome 1 was confirmed by Southern analysis of a Chinese hamster [times] platypus cell hybrid retaining most of platypus chromosome 1. This localization is consistent with the cytological homology of chromosome 1 between the two species. The zinc finger protein gene homologues were ...
Human beings are confronted with another grievous disaster - coal fire. The monitoring on underground coal bed combustion relied on drilling supervising in the past, but this method is not good. By taking the coal fire of Gulaben mine in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as an example, the monitoring methods of underground coal bed combustion were explored based on the hyperspectra and high-resolution remote sensing technology. By employing the OMIS imaging apparatus developed by Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the airborne hyperspectral images and the characteristic spectra of different types were obtained and the temperature was measured synchronously on the ground. Then according to the correlation of DN value of the thermal infrared band and surface temperature, the image information was processed, the spectral features were analyzed, and the surface temperature retrieval model was built. Finally, by hyperspectral imagery ...
This document gathers a series of very short articles concerning nuclear industry around the world. Areva company is investing 30 million euros in its Chalon-Saint-Marcel plant, it is the consequence of the extension of service life of nuclear power plants in the Usa. Areva holds 40% of the American market concerning the replacement of steam generators and 50% of that concerning the replacement of closure heads. The Obrigheim nuclear power plant was definitely closed down on may 2004, this decommissioning is a step forward in the German policy of progressively stepping out of nuclear energy. Chinese authorities are willing to construct 40 nuclear reactors in 15 years, despite that, the contribution of nuclear energy to the generation of electricity will reach only 4% in 2020. In 2007 Cea will begin the construction works of a new research reactor (Jules Horowitz reactor) in the Cadarache site. Prices of the yellow cake have been going up during the last years: from ...
In China, the conventional utilization of oil shale is concentrated mainly on retorting oil shale to produce shale oil and fuel gas, and burning oil shale to generate electricity. The growth of petroleum price, and the development in heavy industry, make these conventional utilization facilities become unavailable on the energy market. In this paper, a new comprehensive utilization system is recommended for the future use of Huadian oil shale, based on the current status of energy and the characteristics of oil shale. The system involves three subsystems: retort subsystem, where coarse oil shale (8-80 mm) is retorted to shale oil, hydrocarbon gases and oil shale semicoke; combustion subsystem, where the mixture fuel of oil-shale semicoke and fine oil shale (0-8 mm) is fed to a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) furnace to burn, in order to generate high-pressure steam which is used to supply heat and generate electricity via a traditional steam-electric power mode; and ash processing ...
Radixin is a cytoskeletal protein that may be important in linking actin to the plasma membrane. Recent cloning of the murine and porcine radixin cDNAs revealed a protein highly homologous to ezrin and moesin. The authors have cloned and sequenced the human radixin cDNA and found the predicted amino acid sequence for the human protein to be nearly identical to those predicted for radixin in the two other species. By Southern analyses of Chinese hamster x human somatic cell hybrid DNA and of PCR products derived from hybrids, the coding gene (RDX) was mapped to 11q. Fluorescence chromosomal in situ hybridization with a cDNA plasmid further localized this gene to band 11q23. However, PCR amplification with [open quotes]radixin-specific[close quotes] primers on the hybrid DNA panel yielded an additional, very similar DNA sequence that was further characterized by direct sequencing of PCR products. This sequence represents a truncated version and the respective locus ...
In the production of heavy-sectioned ferritic spheroidal graphite iron castings for such parts as spent fuel shipping container (cask), undesirable structures like abnormal graphite lamella, pearlite or so-called chinese script type of inclusions tend to appear, deteriorating the mechanical properties at the central part of the section where molten iron freezes last. 500 mm thick cylindrical vessels with bottom, weighing 18 tons and 33 tons, were poured as trial products of casks. Solidification structure and mechanical properties were examined at many portions of the castings. By controlling chemical composition, solidification time and inoculation process the structure and the mechanical properties in the last portion of the section to solidify were improved. Sufficiently homogeneous heavy-sectioned ferritic spheroidal graphite iron castings were successfully produced in the as-cast state. In addition, quality assurance process by using test pieces taken from the ...
The product of the human GRO gene is a cytokine with inflammatory and growth-regulatory properties; GRO is also called MGSA for melanoma growth-stimulatory activity. The authors have identified two additional genes, GRO#beta# and GRO#gamma#, that share 90% and 86% identity at the deduced amino acid level with the original GRO#alpha# isolate. One amino acid substitution of proline in GRO#alpha# by leucine in GRO#beta# and GRO#gamma# leads to a large predicted change in protein conformation. Significant differences also exist in the 3' untranslated region, including different numbers of ATTTA repeats associated with mRNA instability. A 122-base-pair region in the 3' region is conserved among the three GRO genes, and a part of it is also conserved in the Chinese hamster genome, suggesting a role in regulation. DNA hybridization with oligonucleotide probes and partial sequence analysis of the genomic clones confirm that the three forms are derived from related but ...
RNA interference has become a powerful biological tool over the last decade. In this study, a tetracycline-inducible shRNA vector system was designed for silencing CFP expression and delivered alongside the yfp marker gene into Chinese hamster ovary cells using impalefection on spatially indexed vertically aligned carbon nanofiber arrays (VACNFs). The VACNF architecture provided simultaneous delivery of multiple genes, subsequent adherence and proliferation of interfaced cells, and repeated monitoring of single cells over time. Following impalefection and tetracycline induction, 53.1% 10.4% of impalefected cells were fully silenced by the inducible CFP-silencing shRNA vector. Additionally, efficient CFP-silencing was observed in single cells among a population of cells that remained CFP-expressing. This effective transient expression system enables rapid analysis of gene silencing effects using RNAi in single cells and cell populations.
Chinese herbs have been and still are widely used as important remedies in Oriental medicine. Over the recent years, a variety of biologically active constituents have been isolated from these sources and confirmed to have multifunctional activity in experimental studies. Honokiol is a small-molecule polyphenol isolated from the genus Magnolia. It is accompanied by other related polyphenols, including magnolol, with which it shares certain biological properties. Recently, honokiol and magnolol have been found to have anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and anti-microbial properties in preclinical models, without appreciable toxicity. These findings have increased interest in bringing honokiol and magnolol to the clinic as novel therapeutic agents in dermatology. In this review, the findings concerning the major mechanisms of action of honokiol and magnolol are described. Knowledge of the multiple activities of honokiol and magnolol can assist with the ...
In order to establish coal NOx preventive measures, discussions were given on formation of N2 in the fixed-bed pyrolysis of low rank coals and the mechanisms thereof. Chinese ZN coal and German RB coal were used for the discussions. Both coals do not produce N2 at 600{degree}C, and the main product is volatile nitrogen. Conversion into N2 does not depend on heating rates, but increases linearly with increasing temperature, and reaches 65% to 70% at 1200{degree}C. In contrast, char nitrogen decreases linearly with the temperature. More specifically, these phenomena suggest that the char nitrogen or its precursor is the major supply source of N2. When mineral substances are removed by using hydrochloric acid, their catalytic action is lost, and conversion into N2 decreases remarkably. Iron existing in ion-exchanged condition in low-rank coal is reduced and finely diffused into metallic iron particles. The particles react with heterocyclic nitrogen compounds and turn ...
Macrophage differentiation antigen associated with complement three receptor function (Mac-1) belongs to #beta#_2 subfamily of integrins that mediate important cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions. Biochemical studies have indicated that Mac-1 is a constitutive heterodimer in vitro. Here, we detected the heterodimerization of Mac-1 subunits in living cells by means of two fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) techniques (fluorescence microscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy) and our results demonstrated that there is constitutive heterodimerization of the Mac-1 subunits and this constitutive heterodimerization of the Mac-1 subunits is cell-type independent. Through FRET imaging, we found that heterodimers of Mac-1 mainly localized in plasma membrane, perinuclear, and Golgi area in living cells. Furthermore, through analysis of the estimated physical distances between cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) and yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) fused to Mac-1 subunits, we ...
The effect of combustion conditions on conversion of char nitrogen to N2 was studied in the combustion experiment of char obtained by pyrolysis of coal. Char specimen was prepared by holding ZN coal of Chinese lignite in Ar atmosphere at 1123K for one hour. A batch scale quartz-made fluidized bed reactor was used for combustion experiment. After the specimen was fluidized in reaction gas, it was rapidly heated to start combustion reaction. CO, CO2 and N2 in produced gases were online measured by gas chromatography (GC). As the experimental result, under the incomplete combustion condition where a large amount of CO was produced by consuming almost all of O2, no NOx and N2O produced from char were found, and almost all of N-containing gas was N2. At the final stage of combustion, pyridinic-N disappeared completely, and pyrrolic-N decreased, while O-containing nitrogen complexes became a main component. It was thus suggested that O-containing nitrogen complexes are ...
The unique challenges and opportunities associated with China's rapid economic growth were discussed with reference to the potential risk of political disruption or destabilizing international markets. The author notes that two common mistakes are typically made when assessing the evolution of China's energy policy. The first is that China's future path is assimilated with that of developed countries, thereby dismissing evidence that might point toward a different relationship with energy. Second, analysts tend to focus on the external expression of China's energy needs, its oil imports, while overlooking other energy-related issues such as insufficient electricity supplies or environmental degradation. The author argues that Chinese leadership is redefining its understanding of what constitutes energy security for the country. This report assesses the international impacts of such a redefinition along with the international aspects of a business-as-usual scenario ...
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Human K2P3.1 (TASK1) channels represent potential targets for pharmacological management of atrial fibrillation. K2P channels control excitability by stabilizing membrane potential and by expediting repolarization. In the heart, inhibition of K2P currents by class III antiarrhythmic drugs results in action potential prolongation and suppression of electrical automaticity. Carvedilol exerts antiarrhythmic activity and suppresses atrial fibrillation following cardiac surgery or cardioversion. The objective of this study was to investigate acute effects of carvedilol on human K2P3.1 (hK2P3.1) channels. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Two-electrode voltage clamp and whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology was used to record hK2P3.1 currents from Xenopus oocytes, Chinese hamster o...
This paper presents a comprehensive study of pesticide levels and bio-accumulation characteristics in human adipose tissues among residents of Southeast China. A large number of adipose samples (n=633) were selected for 58 pesticides and were analyzed by high sensitive Gas Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). The results showed that POPs pesticides were frequently detected, including 2,4prime-DDD, 2,4prime-DDE, 2,4prime-DDT, 4,4prime-DDD, 4,4prime-DDE, 4,4prime-DDT, a-HCH, b-HCH, g-HCH, d-HCH, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), and mirex. Other detected pesticide species were dicofol, methamidophos and chlordimeform, which have rarely been reported. Comparing to different countries, the concentrations of total DDT and HCH in these three Chinese southeastern sites were in the middle ra...
On 24th of July 2007 Westinghouse Electric Co. signed landmark contracts with China's State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC), to provide four AP1000 nuclear power plants in China. The AP1000 is a two-loop 1117 MWe Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR). It is based on proven technology, but with an emphasis on safety features that rely on natural driving forces, such as pressurized gas, gravity flow, natural circulation flow and convection. Ansaldo Nucleare has provided a significant support to the passive plant technology development and, starting from 2000, is cooperating with Westinghouse to development of the AP1000 Plant. In the frame of the AP1000 Chinese agreement, Ansaldo Nucleare, in Joint Venture with Mangiarotti Nuclear, has signed a contract with Westinghouse for the design and the supply of innovative components to be installed in the first AP1000 unit to be constructed at the Sanmen site. The contract includes: the design of the steel containment ...
The optically stimulated luminescent (OSL) radiation dosimeter technically surveys a wide dynamic measurement range and a high sensitivity. Optical fiber dosimeters provide capability for remote monitoring of the radiation in the locations which are difficult-to-access and hazardous. In addition, optical fiber dosimeters are immune to electrical and radio-frequency interference. In this paper, a novel remote optical fiber radiation dosimeter is described. The optical fiber dosimeter takes advantage of the charge trapping materials CaS:Ce, Sm that exhibit OSL. The measuring range of the dosimeter is from 0.1 to 100 Gy. The equipment is relatively simple and small in size, and has low power consumption. This device is suitable for measuring the space radiation dose and also can be used in high radiation dose condition and other dangerous radiation occasions. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (10475112), Western Light Foundation of Chinese ...
Microwave assisted extraction (MAE) is a combination of a microwave technique and conventional solvent extraction used in the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine. The effective component of medicinal herbs is mostly cellular material which can be released via solvent extraction. The material is diffused to solvents via the porous membrane wall. The structure of herb morphology and characteristics of the solute's molecular weight play an important role in the extraction process of target compounds. Astragalus pieces were chosen for this study in which an ultra-filtration membrane method was used to determine the molecular weight distribution characteristics of Astragalus water extraction liquid in the process of MAE. The fine structure of matrix materials was also characterized by scanning election microscopy (SEM). The phenomenon of mass flow and mass transfer in the plant porous media was discussed along with the enhancement mechanism of ...
Propionibacterium freudenreichii ET-3 culture, a cell-free product of whey fermentation using P. freudenreichii ET-3 (7025), has been shown to promote the growth of Bifidobacteria through the action of 1,4-dihydroxy-2-naphthoic acid (DHNA), and therefore, has potential use in the food and supplement industries. Although currently used as a food ingredient in Japan, the safety of this novel ingredient has not been previously evaluated through traditional toxicity testing. Therefore, here we report the results of standard toxicological testing performed on P. freudenreichii ET-3 culture. In a 4-week oral toxicity study, administration of 6000mg/kg body weight/day P. freudenreichii ET-3 culture was without compound-related adverse effects on clinical signs, body weights, food consumption, ophthalmology, hematology, clinical chemistry, urinalysis, organ weights, and gross and microscopic findings in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats. Furthermore, in vitro mutagenicity testing ...
In China, the conventional utilization of oil shale is concentrated mainly on oil shale retorting, and burning oil shale in pulverized furnaces, or bubbling fluidized beds. To improve the availability of oil shale, many specialists have advocated burning oil shale in a circulating fluidized bed (CFB), which has a satisfactory combustion efficiency, low NOx and SO{sub 2} emission, adaptability to low-grade coal, etc. In Huadian, China, a plant incorporating three units of 65 th{sup -1} oil shale-fired CFB began successful commercial operation in 1996, proving that burning oil shale in a CFB produces both high combustion efficiency and environmental protection. For effective utilization of oil shale, its pyrolysis and combustion characteristics, emission performance of gaseous pollutants from an oil shale-fired CFB pilot setup, co-combustion characteristics of oil shale and high sulfur coal as well as the operating performance of the Huadian CFB boiler were further studied. The resulting ...
This paper reported on a study in which designs for Chinese and Indian fixed-dome anaerobic digesters were modified in an effort to produce smaller and more affordable digesters. While these types of systems are common in tropical regions of developing countries, they have not been used in colder climates because of the low biogas yield during the winter months. Although there is evidence that sufficient biogas production can be maintained in colder temperatures through design and operational changes, there is a lack of knowledge about the seasonal changes in the composition of the microbial communities in ambient temperature digesters. More knowledge is needed to design and operate systems for maximum biogas yield in temperate climates. The purpose of this study was to cultivate a microbial community that maximizes biogas production at psychrophilic temperatures. The study was conducted on a 300 gallon experimental anaerobic digester on the campus of Ohio State ...
"1"4C measurement uses a number of standards and reference materials with different properties. Historically the absolute calibration of "1"4C measurement was tied to 1890 wood, through the 'primary' standard of NBS-OxI (produced by the National Bureau of Standards, now NIST - National Institute of Standards and technology) subsequently replaced by NBS-OxII. These are both internationally calibrated and certified materials, whose "1"4C activities are known absolutely. A second tier of materials, often called secondary standards or reference materials, and including internationally recognised materials such as ANU-sucrose (now also IAEA-C6), Chinese - sucrose and the IAEA C1-C6 series, augmented by additional oxalic acid samples are also used routinely. The activity of these materials has been estimated from large numbers of measurements made by many laboratories. Recently, further natural materials from the Third and Fourth International Radiocarbon ...
Asynchronous Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells treated with conditioning hyperthermia (10 min at 45/sup 0/C) followed immediately by x irradiation with 4 Gy at room temperature display a decreased radiation response when either irradiated, or heated and irradiated again 24 h later. In addition, conditioning by 4 Gy of x radiation alone followed at 24 h by the combined heat and radiation treatment als resulted in a larger radiation D/sub 0/. Since the differential cell-cycle responses to heat- and x-ray-induced lethality are well established for CHO cells, the potential role of cell-cycle redistribution in the observed radiation desensitization was investigated by flow cytometry. At 24 h after the combined treatment, the fraction of the cells found in the G/sub 2/ + M portion of the DNA histograms was about three times that of the controls and there was a concomitant reduction in both the G/sub 1/ and S fractions. Similar observations were made after the ...
In 1978, China's coal mining industry achieved an output of 618,000,000 metric tons of raw hard coal, an increase of 128,000,000 tons compared with 1977. This has been achieved primarily by increased new mine development and the modernizaion and expansion of existing mines. While 96% of China's coal is currently produced from underground mines, only 33% of this output is from full mechanized operations, i.e., mechanized longwall retreat faces. Over 1% is produced by hydraulic mining. The current Ten-Year Plan (1975-1985) established that the major thrust of new development and activity should be made particularly in the Shandong, Anhui, Henan, Guizhou, and Yunnan provinces. China is presently concentrating on the construction/enlargement of eight major coal mining centers, mainly in the north and northeast of the country, each with a designed capacity in excess of 10,000,000 tons a year. China has elected to import large quantities of mining machinery and equipment, ...
China is the world`s fourth largest electric power producer, and is expected to surpass Japan within the next two years to become the third largest power producer. During the past 15 years, China`s total electricity generation more than tripled, increasing from about 300 TWh to about 1,000 TWh. Total installed generating capacity grew at an average of 8.2 percent per year, increasing from 66 to 214 GW. The share of China`s installed capacity in Asia increased from 21 to 31 percent. The Chinese government plans to continue China`s rapid growth rate in the power sector. Total installed capacity is planned to reach 300 GW by 2000, which will generate 1,400 TWh of electricity per year. China`s long-term power sector development is subject to great uncertainty. Under the middle scenario, total capacity is expected to reach 700 GW by 2015, with annual generation of 3,330 TWh. Under the low and high scenarios, total capacity will reach 527-1,005 GW by 2015. The high ...
Under certain growth conditions, the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line HT-29 exhibits intestinal enterocyte-like properties. The differentiated cells possess a brush border with the enzyme markers (aminopeptidase and sucrase) normally associated with the intestine. To aid in the characterization of the transport properties of these cells, the uptake of a non-metabolizable amino acid analog, "1"4C-#alpha#-methylaminoisobutyric acid (MeAIB) as examined in the HT-29-Al subclone which possesses a brush border. The cells exhibited a time-dependent uptake of MeAIB which was concentrative and sodium-dependent. The pH optimum for uptake was about 7.8. Uptake was inhibited by low temperature, 1 mM ouabain, or 0.5 mM dinitrophenol. A 1 hr-preincubation of the cells in an isotonic KCl solution resulted in a decreased uptake rate, suggesting that a negative membrane potential is important for MeAIB uptake. The rate of 0.5 mM MeABIB uptake was inhibited by 40 to 90% by 5 mM of certain small ...
Magnolia bark and ginger rhizome is a drug pair in many prescriptions for treatment of mental disorders in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, compatibility and synergism mechanism of two herbs on antidepressant actions have not been reported. The aim of this study was to approach the rationale of the drug pair in TCM. We evaluated antidepressant-like effects of mixture of honokiol and magnolol (HMM), polysaccharides (PMB) from magnolia bark, essential oil (OGR) and polysaccharides (PGR) from ginger rhizome alone, and the possibility of synergistic interactions in their combinations in the mouse forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST). Serotonin (5-HT) and noradrenaline (NE) levels in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and striatum were also examined. 30 mg/kg HMM decreased immobility in the FST and TST in mice after one- and two-week treatment. OGR (19.5 or 39 mg/kg) alone was ineffective. The combination of an ineffective dose of 39 mg/kg ...
The Chinese government has enacted policies to promote alternative vehicle fuels (AVFs) and alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), including city bus fleets. The life cycle (LC), energy savings (ES) and GHG reduction (GR) profiles of AVFs/AFVs are critical to those policy decisions. The well-to-wheels module of the Tsinghua-CA3EM model is employed to investigate actual performance data. Compared with conventional buses, AFVs offer differences in performance in terms of both ES and GR. Only half of the AFVs analyzed demonstrate dual benefits. However, all non-oil/gas pathways can substitute oil/gas with coal. Current policies seek to promote technology improvements and market creation initiatives within the guiding framework of national-level diversification and district-level uniformity. Combined with their actual LC behavior and in keeping with near- and long-term strategies, integrated policies should seek to (1) apply hybrid electric technology to diesel buses; (2) ...
Glycyrrhiza glabra root is one of the common traditional Chinese medicines and used as flavoring and sweetening agents for tobaccos, chewing gums, candies, toothpaste and beverages. While glycyrrhizin is one of the main components in the extract of G. glabra root and has been characterized, the other components have not been well characterized. The mechanism of growth activation of breast cancer MCF-7 cells, including the activation of Erk1/2 and Akt, and the transcriptional regulation of estrogen-responsive genes, was examined by means of sulforhodamine B, luciferase reporter gene, real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting assays after the induction of the cells with the extract of G. glabra root. The extract has similar activity to that induced by 17beta-estradiol (E(2)), although glycyrrhizin did not show such an activity. Moreover, the estrogen receptor alpha-dependent neurite outgrowth induced by the extract was similar to that by E(2), whereas glycyrrhizin had no ...
Solid fuels such as coal, wood, and crop straw supply some fraction of household cooking and heating fuel for more than one billion people in China. As these fuels do not generally combust cleanly in household stoves, their use levies large health and environmental burdens, particularly in rural regions. Production of clean-burning fuels from agricultural residue offers one prospect for mitigating health and social burdens imposed by household use of solid fuels. This dissertation explores the question: how might production of clean-burning household fuels from agricultural residues affect human health and social conditions in rural China? I approach this question from three perspectives. First, a technically plausible but currently unproven village-scale energy technology is explored in a scenario bounded by natural resources and substantiated by engineering specifications, estimates of indoor exposures to air pollution, and epidemiological analyses. This analysis asks at the national ...
China operates 10 nuclear power reactors and has 5 more under construction. A large extension of nuclear power is expected by 2020. Nuclear generated electricity accounts for 2% of the total electric power generation. The Chinese policy is to have spent fuel reprocessed in China. So, final disposal include vitrified waste and some CANDU spent fuel for direct disposal. There is a legal framework in place in China to manage HLW. The China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA) has the responsibility for setting policy on HLW disposal and implementing the disposal programme, while the National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) and the State Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) are the regulatory bodies, which are responsible for licensing and reviewing of environment impact assessment report. The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) is considered to be the actual implementer, conducting the major activities for HLW management. In the 1980's, China started generic ...
Objective: To study the correlation of the bone mineral density (BMD) and the body composition components of body mass index (BMI), FAT and LEAN in Chinese obesity. Methods: There were 150 cases in obesity group diagnosed by BMI, including 75 males [ median age 46 years, mean weight (89.64 #+-# 8.33) kg] and 75 females [median age 45 years, mean weight (77.23 #+-# 6.85) kg]. There were 150 persons with normal BMI in the control group, including 75 males [(median age 47 years, mean weight (62.34 #+-# 5.72) kg] and 75 females [ median age 45 years, mean weight (50.16 #+-# 5.06) kg]. The body height and weight of 300 persons in two groups were measured respectively and ,simultaneously calculated the BMI. These data and the body composition parameters measured by the dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) in these two groups were compared and analyzed. The data obtained used two-sample t-test analysis, bi-variable correlation used Pearson linear correlation analysis ...
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